How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"I know what I'm doing," my father said, his voice shaking. "That boy getting killed was wrong. You know it, Al. I can't let them go back to work knowing what I know." (5.17)
Maybe this is what Daddy's decision comes down to: He's afraid it will happen again if he doesn't do something to stop it. He's afraid Randall and Dennis really are a danger on the streets.
Quote #8
"I believe in the law, Albert," Daddy said quietly. "I wouldn't be a cop if I didn't. My father was a lawyer and his father was a judge. And here I am—a cop. You say it's in Randall's and Dennis's blood—well, it's in mine, too. They shouldn't have killed Taylor. I'm going to stand by that." (5.47)
Daddy's principles of justice and his belief in the law clearly go back several generations. No one ever argues that Randall and Dennis should have killed Taylor. What seems to be at stake is how much punishment they're going to get for it, and Daddy is in the only one in a position to testify against them. Put that way, Daddy's choice seems… less like a choice, and more like an obligation.
Quote #9
"I know how to be a cop," Daddy says. "I know what's right and what's wrong." He looks at each of us and nods. "Right and wrong," he says again, then turns back to the window. (14.25)
Here, it seems like Daddy's trying to convince himself more than his family. He thought he knew what was right and wrong when he decided to testify, but a few months in witness protection seem to have changed his mind. Doing the right thing resulted in a lot wrong for his family, and he may be wondering now if the consequences were worth it.